Chapter 73 -

Chapter 73: Chapter

Liu Feng jumped out of the carriage first and ran off to get a new wheelchair, since the one they had taken on the trip had broken.

As Yimei stepped down onto the cold ground, two figures hurried across the dark yard under the yellow light of lanterns. It was Madame Bai and Zhengyu’s younger sister, Bai Meiling. They had just been told of their arrival, so they came out quickly to meet them.

"Zhengyu! Yimei!" Madame Bai called out, looking very worried as she walked up to them. Her eyes darted over the carriage, trying to see her son inside. "You are finally back! Why did it take so long? We heard you didn’t even stay at the house prepared for you!"

Bai Meiling followed closely behind her mother, looking between them with curious eyes.

"Brother! Sister-in-law!" she called out happily. "Are you okay? Mother was worrying about you all night!"

Zhengyu sat inside the carriage with a cold, blank face. He completely ignored his mother, not even looking at her or giving her a single word.

Seeing her son ignore her as usual, Madame Bai turned her sharp eyes directly onto Yimei.

"Yimei! Did you take proper care of my son while you were out?" she asked, her tone demanding.

Yimei stepped forward and gave Madame Bai a polite smile, bowing her head just a little.

"Of course, Mother," Yimei said smoothly, taking over the conversation like she usually did whenever his mother was around. "I looked after him very well every step of the way. There was just a small delay because of the bad weather, but everything is completely fine."

Madame Bai let out a sigh, looking at her silent son with a mix of annoyance and worry.

Right then, Liu Feng hurried back, rolling a new wooden wheelchair over to the carriage door. He carefully helped Zhengyu move into it.

Zhengyu still didn’t say a single word to his mother. He just sat back in his chair, staring straight ahead as if she wasn’t even standing there.

Liu Feng quickly pushed Zhengyu’s wheelchair toward the main house while the other servants hurried to unload their heavy bags and wooden trunks from the carriage. Qinqin rushed over from where the servants were gathering, taking her place right beside Yimei to help with her cloak and gather her small personal items.

Madame Bai looked at the tired faces of everyone around and sighed. She smoothed down her expensive silk sleeves and turned her gaze back to Yimei.

"It is already very late," Madame Bai said, her tone firm yet calm. "Go back to your courtyard and rest for tonight."

She paused, making sure Yimei was paying full attention, before continuing.

"Tomorrow morning, make sure you wake up early for breakfast. After that, you must come with us to pay your respects to Grandmother Bai and the Old Master."

"I understand, Mother," Yimei replied with a polite bow. "I will be ready first thing in the morning."

Satisfied with her answer, Madame Bai turned and walked away, accompanied by Zhengyu’s sister. Yimei turned to Qinqin, giving her a quick nod, and they followed behind the servants leading the way to their quiet courtyard.

Over at Madame Chen’s courtyard, inside her dimly lit chamber, Madame Chen sat sipping tea alongside the second branch’s Madame. The air in the room was thick with quiet scheming as they discussed the estate’s finances and upcoming household matters.

Suddenly, the beaded curtain at the entrance clattered softly. A young maid from Madame Zhang’s courtyard hurried inside, bowing low to the ground.

"Madame Chen, Madame," the maid whispered nervously, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. "News just arrived from the main courtyard. The First Young Master and the Young Madame have just returned from their one-week trip."

Madame Chen paused, her teacup hovering mid-air before she set it down on the small side table with a sharp clink.

Beside her, Madame Liu’s face darkened instantly. The subtle smile she had been wearing seconds ago vanished, replaced by a look of sheer annoyance and cold bitterness.

"They are back?" Madame Liu spat out, her hand tightening around her silk handkerchief until her knuckles turned white. "I thought that useless cripple and his illegitimate wife would at least have the decency to stay away a little longer! Why did they have to return right now?"

Madame Liu had been hoping that with Zhengyu away from the estate, her own branch would have more room to gain favor with Grandmother Bai and secure a larger share of the manor’s winter funds. Now, their unexpected late-night return ruined her quiet satisfaction.

"Calm down," Madame Chen said smoothly, though her own eyes glinted with calculation as she waved her hand to dismiss the young maid. "Let them return. Running back in the middle of the night only shows how unstable their trip was."

Madame Liu sneered, leaning back against her wooden chair. "Unstable or not, that girl Yimei has been getting far too bold lately... it’s so sad that they didn’t get killed by a landslide. At least we need to make sure she knows her place tomorrow morning when everyone gathers to pay their respects to the Old Master and Grandmother Bai."

Yimei and Zhengyu finally reached the quiet sanctuary of their own courtyard. Liu Feng immediately stepped forward, carefully wheeling Zhengyu off toward his personal chamber to get him settled for the night.

Yimei stopped near the main pavilion, turning to look at Qinqin. The young maid stood trembling slightly in the crisp night air, clutching Yimei’s heavy cloak with small, red hands.

"Qinqin, go to your room and rest," Yimei instructed softly. "I’ll go down to the kitchen myself to quickly brew some tea and prepare Zhengyu’s warm decoction."

Qinqin immediately shook her head, her eyes wide with concern. "No, Young Madame, let me do it! You must be exhausted from the long journey. I can handle the kitchen!"

Yimei reached out and gently caught Qinqin’s hands. She didn’t even need to examine them closely to see the faint, bluish frostbite creeping across the tips of the girl’s fingers. Qinqin was freezing, her body shivering violently under her thin servant robes.

"Look at your fingers," Yimei said, her tone firm leaving no room for argument. "You’re freezing to death. Go build a fire in your room, warm up your hands, and sleep. That is an order, Qinqin. I can handle a simple pot of tea."

Qinqin bit her lip, clearly touched by her mistress’s care, and bowed low. "Thank you, Young Madame... Please call for me if you need anything."

Once Qinqin scampered off toward the servants’ quarters, Yimei wrapped her shawl tighter around her shoulders and headed straight for the small side kitchen.